Ajdovščina
Ajdovščina | |
|---|---|
 Ajdovščina | |
| Country |  Slovenia |
| Traditional region | Littoral |
| Statistical region | Gorizia |
| Municipality | Ajdovščina |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.0 km2 (2.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 106 m (348 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 6,676 |
| • Density | 960/km2 (2,500/sq mi) |
| Website | [2] |
Ajdovščina (Italian: Aidussina,[3] German: Haidenschaft) is a small town with a population of about 6,700, located in the Vipava Valley (Vipavska dolina), Slovenia.[4] It is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Ajdovščina.
History
The first mentions of Ajdovščina go as far as 2000 BC, but the town became better known around 200 BC as Mansio Fluvio Frigido, a small post in use by the Roman empire later in AD 200, when it was also known as Castra or Castrum ad Fluvio Frigido, the remains of which are still visible.
Ajdovščina and its surroundings were an important commercial and strategic point because some major battles took place in the Vipava Valley, such as the Battle of the Frigidus in AD 394. A local legend mentions that Theodosius I used the strong northern bora wind that is common in Ajdovščina and the Vipava Valley to his favor and disabled the enemy archers and pilum units with the help of the wind.
The Hubelj River is the dividing line between the two largest parts of Ajdovščina, locally known as Šturje and Ajdovščina. During the pre-World War I years the river was also the border between the Slovene regions of Gorizia and Carniola.
The parish church in Ajdovščina is dedicated to John the Baptist and belongs to the Koper Diocese.[5] It is built on the site of a Roman cemetery. Its interior was painted by the local Baroque painter Anton Čebej.[6] A second parish within the urban area of Ajdovščina is the Parish of Šturje, with the parish church dedicated to Saint George. The church in the hamlet of Fužine north of the main town, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, also belongs to this parish.[7]
Despite the fact that the Italian border is less than 20 km away and that Ajdovščina was under Italian administration from 1918 to 1945, and from 1927 as a commune of the Province of Gorizia (as Aidussina), during Italian rule (1918–1943, nominally lasted to 1945),[8] the style of the town does not resemble that of a typical Italian town. The strong bora winds would cause damage to the usual Italian house construction. Thus the population adopted and modified the classical Karst architecture for their own needs; for example, by putting stones on roofs to weight down the tiles against the strong winds.
After World War II Ajdovščina became the economic and cultural centre of the upper Vipava Valley.
Major industries include textile fabrics, construction, food, beverages, and furniture.
The climate is Mediterranean (minimum temperature in winter −1 °C (30 °F), maximum 17 °C (63 °F); in the summer time maximum temperature 39 °C (102 °F), minimum 20 °C (68 °F). The town is located around 25 km from the Adriatic Sea.
Notable residents
- Ivo Boscarol (born 1957), businessman
- Anton Čebej (1722–1774), painter
- Miša Cigoj (born 1982), dancesport athlete
- Milan Klemenčič (1875–1957), puppeteer
- Karel Lavrič (1818–1876), politician
- Danilo Lokar (1892–1989), author
- Julij Mayer (1891–1983), beekeeper[9]
- Veno Pilon (1896–1970), painter
- Avgust Žigon (1877–1941), literary historian
Gallery
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Steam locomotive at the railway station
See also
References
- ^ "Nadmorska višina naselij, kjer so sedeži občin" (in Slovene and English). Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. 2002.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Ajdovščina, Ajdovščina". Place Names. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
- ^ trilingual name "Haidenschaft, Aidussina, Ajdovščina" in: Gemeindelexikon, der im Reichsrate Vertretenen Königreiche und Länder. Bearbeit auf Grund der Ergebnisse der Volkszählung vom 31. Dezember 1900. Herausgegeben von der K.K. Statistischen Zentralkommission. VII. Österreichisch-Illyrisches Küstenland (Triest, Görz aund Gradiska, Istrien). Wien 1906
- ^ Ajdovščina municipal site
- ^ Koper Diocese list of churches
- ^ Slovenian Tourist Board site
- ^ Šturje parish site
- ^ http://utenti.multimania.it/Legionario/vgammin.htm Ajdovščina was during Italian Rule
- ^ Bokal, Ljudmila, ed. 2008. Čebelarski terminološki slovar. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU and Lukovica: Čebelarska zveza Slovenije, p. 255.
External links
- Ajdovščina municipal page Template:Sl icon]
- Ajdovščina on Geopedia
- Ajdovščina Tourist Information Centre site
- Virtual Ajdovščina by Burger (virtual photos)
| Settlements | Administrative seat: Ajdovščina
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| Landmarks | ||
| Notable people | ||
